Washington, D.C. – Today, Reps. Annie Kuster (D-NH), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Lori Trahan (D-MA), Paul Tonko (D-NY), and David Trone (D-MD) released the following statement after the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) issued a temporary rule that extends telemedicine flexibilities adopted during the COVID-19 public health emergency through November 2024.

“We need to expand access to mental health and substance use disorder treatment, not eliminate the resources people rely on,” said the Members. “We applaud the DEA for heeding our calls for action to ensure patients will be able to get the medications they need through telehealth after the COVID-19 emergency ends. This is a critical step forward in our efforts to end the overdose crisis. We will continue pushing to expand access to recovery resources for those across the country beyond this extension.”

In March 2023, the Members led a letter to the DEA urging that the continuation of telehealth flexibilities related to increased access to buprenorphine treatment is essential to successfully address the ongoing opioid crisis. The full letter is available here.

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